


Canto Bight Romance Speedrun

by lehnsherry



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Ben Solo Doesn't Turn to the Dark Side, Alternate Universe - Different First Meeting, Alternate Universe - Hux doesn't join the First Order, Anal Sex, Ben Solo Needs A Hug, Canto Bight, First Time, Gentleness, M/M, Of Course They Fall in Love, Prostitution, Sexual Content, Strangers to Lovers, Virgin Ben Solo, ben is a young resistance pilot on a mission, hux is a runaway mechanic who does a bit of sex work on the side, red string of fate and all that
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-30
Updated: 2020-01-02
Packaged: 2021-02-27 10:33:53
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,247
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22035622
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lehnsherry/pseuds/lehnsherry
Summary: Ben Solo never left the Resistance and has a bit of bad luck on Canto Bight. He runs into Hux, who never joined the First Order and has been having a bit of bad luck practically his entire life. Whether by chance or by fate, their lives entwine for a brief moment that changes everything.
Relationships: Armitage Hux/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren, Armitage Hux/Kylo Ren
Comments: 13
Kudos: 76





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been thinking about this little AU for a long time, basically ever since I saw the Canto Bight scene for the first time, and I think it's time for it to finally see the light of day! It'll probably be somewhere between three and five chapters in length.
> 
> Ben is 20 and Hux is 24 in this, and their lives differ rather majorly from canon, just a heads up. I'll do my best to portray the sex work aspect in a neutral-ish way, but if you'd like me to explain or tag something, please let me know.
> 
> Hope you enjoy <3

It’s still early when Hux enters the building. It’s lit as brightly as the casinos higher on the hill, though this place specializes in drinks, music and private corners to safely house shady deals, instead of outright gambling. The large, bright letters above the entrance proclaim the establishment as ‘The Empire’, which Hux has always found both ludicrous and amusing. The Empire is as trashy as a place can get this close to downtown Canto Bight, and far from the glory, power and order one should associate with any empire.

Still, the clientele is the perfect blend of ‘shady but pretending to be respectable’, ‘rich but not enough to become completely insufferable’ and ‘doesn’t ask too many questions’. That’s the only combination Hux can really work with, so he’s here instead of the actual casinos or the pleasure houses on the street of shadows.

He leaves his coat at the cloakroom, paying the attendant a little extra to take it all the way to the back where there are statistically fewer instances of things getting ‘lost’. The coat wasn’t expensive, but with good enough tailoring he got it to look that way, and that’s what matters. He takes a quick glance at the large mirror covering the wall of the short hallway, straightening his pearl grey waistcoat and adjusting his hair. He’s stopped wearing it slicked back, instead favoring an artistic sort of floppiness, because apparently it makes him look ‘charmingly rakish.’

He stops at the entrance to the main room, taking inventory. It's still early enough that the place is only half full and the noise level is still tolerable. The Empire is much more pleasant on the inside that the garish facade indicates; lights are down low, casting the large room with it’s open floor and variously sized booths into an intimate dimness. There’s a band of Dresselians on the stage, playing soft jazz. He lets his walk adopt the rhythm of the music, swaying just the tiniest bit, and feels several gazes follow him as he makes his way towards the bar.

He listens to snatches of conversation on his way through the little gatherings of people standing around pool tables and sitting at tables, and gathers today’s clientele to be the usual: rich tourists from anywhere and everywhere, businessmen, a few Naboo politicians, some locals on a night out. No one stands out as an obvious target yet, and Hux sighs. He shouldn’t really be here when he has three data pads at home waiting for fixing and some illegal upgrades, as well as a speeder with an annoyingly persistent engine problem he should be done with by the day after tomorrow at the latest. It’s just that he’s been holed up above the shop for days, only seeing his droids. The sarcastic little assholes aren’t much for company, especially since they’re not inclined to pay him for his company.

“Hello, Red”, the bartender nods at him as he reaches the bar. He’s known her for as long as he’s been frequenting the Empire, and she knows about his little side entrepreneurship. She’s an imposingly tall woman and goes by the name of Phasma. She’s never told him a single thing about herself, except for the name, which he suspects to be a fake one anyway. He supposes it’s fair, since so is his. They’re friends anyway.

“Working tonight?” she asks, picking up a glass to polish.

“Always”, Hux smirks ruefully. She shakes her head in sympathy and reaches for a shaker. “The usual?”

“Yes, please.” He leans against the counter and lets his gaze sweep over the bar as he waits. Phasma mixes the drink with dizzying speed, pours the pale orange concoction into the glass and sets it on the bar, topping it with a slice of a violently red fruit Hux doesn’t know the name of.

“Seen anyone promising?” he asks conspiratorially.

She laughs. “For you to trick or for me to romance?”

It’s a bit of a running joke; she relishes being too scary for anyone, and he insists she just hasn’t found the right lady yet.

“Either! You’re always here when I come for a visit, working this much can’t be good for you”, Hux chastises her, fully aware the same could, and maybe should, be said about him.

“Not really, no. Though there’s an older gentleman over there near the stage, and he’s looking at you in a very particular way.”

Hux looks over discretely and groans. The man seems to be approximately two hundred years old. He has nothing against older clients as such, but today he’s not feeling up to trying hopelessly to heal anyone’s case of erectile dysfunction.

“I’ll keep looking, thank you very much.”

There’s a line forming behind him, so Hux pays for the drink and leaves Phasma to her work. He makes a slow circuit of the room, searching for a quiet vantage point from which to assess the other patrons and choose a target. He avoids the curtains separating the quieter nooks from the main space, not wanting to interrupt anyone or hear something he isn’t supposed to. He enjoys an element of danger, but he has no death wishes.

He sips his drink slowly as he walks, decidedly in the opposing direction form the old man who he’s pretty sure is still looking at him with uncomfortable intensity.

He enjoys the bittersweet burn of citrus, spices and strong liqueur on his tongue. The drink is called either _Morning After_ or _Gloryhole Surprise,_ depending on who you ask, and it's his favourite thing to drink in this place, despite not quite being in his price range. The kick in it must be ginger, he thinks idly and lets his gaze travel from one person to another.

He spies an empty little table with high stools next to a wall, rather close to a group of promisingly well-dressed Chagrians. Hux sits down with his back to the wall with his arm resting on the table next to him and his body angled toward the middle of the room. He makes sure to arrange his legs artfully and settles in to wait. He jazz is pleasant and the drink warms his stomach nicely.

He takes a moment to just go over the last week’s finances in his head. He’s made enough for the month’s rent, food and the spare parts he needs for the speeder, and if he scores tonight he’ll have the usual amount to put away for saving as well. Things are as good as they can reasonably be expected to be in his situation. The thought is almost too exciting to approach, but soon he’ll have enough money to buy a ship, a _good_ ship, and then it should be smooth sailing from there. He’ll finally get out of here.

His thoughts are interrupted when he notices a tall man walking quickly away from the bar. When he gets closer, Hux realizes he’s less a man and more boy, tall and broad but cute in a youthful way, like he hasn’t quite grown into his features yet. He’s perhaps eighteen, twenty at the most. He doesn’t strike Hux as someone who’d be able to pay well for a lay, and usually that’s enough for him to lose interest, especially while at the Empire, but something about this boy holds his gaze.

He’s got long black hair, and most of it is tied into a loose bun at the back of his neck, though many soft-looking strands have escaped to fall over his ears and the sides of his face. He’s wearing a leather jacket that looks tight enough that he probably wouldn’t be able to zip it up if he tried. He looks tired and a little travel-worn but clean, and his dark eyes scan the room for a free table, looking nervous and out of place amid all these rich and self-important people. He’s carrying a huge glass of beer, and everything about him looks like he’s fit in better at some pub with a rowdy, illegally rigged speeder-riding clientele. He looks… sad, almost, and despite himself, Hux is intrigued.

Not quite controlling his body, Hux finds his hand rising to indicate the other stool at his table. The boy notices him and flashes him an awkward, thankful grin.

“Hello”, Hux greets him as he reaches the table and sets his drink on the table, sitting down.

“Hi. I’m Ben”, the boy says, looking tense and like he doesn’t quite know how one approaches a total stranger at a club like this. He seems to make a decision and reaches to shake Hux’s hand. Hux takes his hand with an amused chuckle.

“Nice to meet you, Ben. You can call me Red.” He makes his voice all soft and low like he often does when seducing a mark, though deciding by the flush creeping to Ben’s cheeks, he doesn’t even need to try all that much.

“Red”, Ben repeats, blinking. “That’s a… nice name.”

“Thank you”, Hux says sincerely, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. “I picked it myself.”

Ben blinks at him in surprise for a second, but doesn’t comment. Maybe he meets a lot of people who’ve abandoned their given names. For Hux it’s strictly a question of safety, but Ben doesn’t need to know that. It seemed funny at the time, six years ago when he stood in the cramped bathroom of his new, tiny apartment above the shop, looking in a mirror and creating his new identity.

His red hair was something he could be easily recognized by, and he’d briefly considered dying it, but had ultimately decided against it. He figured it might be fun to build a new identity around it. So, by day he’s ‘that one mechanic who can do any job, quickly and reliably, even if it’s slightly on this side of illegal. You’ll know him when you see him, he’s got the reddest hair you ever saw.’ And sometimes, by night, he’s ‘The prettiest little whore I’ve seen, so exotic - Don’t they say red hair means you’ve got no soul? Wanna show me how wicked you are?’ and so on and so forth. He’s found that if he’s good enough at what he does and there’s something interesting about his appearance people can focus on, they rarely look any further than that.

“Thanks for giving me this seat. I was a little lost”, Ben says after a pause. Hux inclines his head benevolently.

“You looked like it. Not from around here?” It’s painfully obvious from everything, his accent, his clothes, the way he seems ill at ease among the crowd here.

“No”, Ben chuckles, scratching the back of his neck. “Chandrila, actually, if you can believe it.”

“Really? I’ve never been. What’s it like?” Hux asks, hoping his interest doesn’t seem fake. His conversation usually is, when he’s angling for an invitation to somebody’s bed, but this boy honestly intrigues him. He sticks out like a sore thumb, but something about the country boy innocence in his eyes wakes some emotion in Hux he hasn’t felt in a long time.

“Boring as fuck”, Ben says so seriously it makes Hux laugh. “All forests and calm seas and content people.”

“Stars. A bit of a change compared to Cantonia.”

“You could say that”, Ben sighs, taking a big gulp of his beer. “I travel a lot though, for work.”

“Is that why you’re here?”

“Yeah”, Ben said, “I’m supposed to only be here for a day or two but…” He goes quiet, his earlier unease morphing into outright misery.

“Everything okay?” Hux sincerely hopes the boy won’t do anything as horrifying as bursting into tears

“Not really”, Ben admits, his head hanging in sadness and his lower lip pushing out into a cute little pout he’s probably not even aware of himself.

“My ship sort of… decided to fuck me over and have every possible malfunction at once. And I’m shit at fixing things that aren’t droids, and I don’t have money for a mechanic. So. I’m a little stuck.” He literally wrings his hands together in shame and despair, not even hesitating to tell all of this to someone he only just met. Either this boy is a brilliant actor and trying to scam Hux somehow, or he’s really just this open and innocent. Both options intrigue him more than they should.

“Oh fuck”, Hux huffs in sympathy. Gods, but Ben is exactly in the same situation Hux was in six years ago, when he was eighteen and lost and scared. No wonder Ben stumbled in here looking miserable and out of sorts and ordered the biggest beer he could find.

"Don't have a place to stay, either", Ben admits, sighing and taking another sip of beer. His shoulders relax a little, like he feels lighter having told someone all of his recent misfortunes. "I'll sleep in the ship and figure something out tomorrow... but I think the heater's fried too. Fuck."

Hux hums sympathetically and pats Ben's arm. He really is sweet, Hux thinks, as Ben leans into the touch just a little bit, unconsciously seeking comfort.

"Sorry for just laying all of this out on you", Ben begins to backtrack. "I'm sure you have better things to do with your time."

An idea begins to form in Hux’s head. He really shouldn’t listen to it, since Ben is a complete stranger and could very well be a crazy murderer or even a spy sent to hunt Hux down. Still… since Hux is apparently feeling very spontaneous and very, very foolish tonight, he lays his hand on top of Ben’s and leans in close, whispering to him in a consolingly soft voice.

“It's fine, really. Say, what if I could help you with that?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! <3 I have too many ongoing projects as it is, but when I found my old notes for this idea, of course I had to start a new fic for it immediately, like the moron I am. I promise to try for a consistent updating schedule anyway! Please bear with me.
> 
> I'd love to hear what you think of this so far, so please leave a comment!


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A glimpse into Ben's thoughts. I didn't think I'd be alternating the POV, but it sort of came naturally, so here we are.
> 
> Happy last day of the year!

Ben stares at Red, mouth hanging unattractively open.

“For real?” he gets out, hoarsely. They've been talking for only a moment, and he expects Ben to just take him up on the offer of a place for the night?

He’s admitted to using a fake name, he seemed to single Ben out and has been nothing but strangely kind during their conversation; he must realize how shady he's acting. Everything about him is suspicious, yet he’s so pretty it’s making thinking logically very hard for Ben.

"Yeah", Red says. "I live a twenty minute walk away, if you don’t mind the weather."

The weather seemed fine the last Ben was out, a little dry and cooling rapidly, but fine. It's definitely not his main concern here.

Red gets up and takes Ben’s hand, breaking his chain of thought again. Ben shakes his head but can't bring himself to tug his hand free.

“Sorry but… why would you do that?" he has to ask. "We don’t even know each other.”

Red’s lips quirk in a self-deprecating smile. “I guess you’re right to ask me that. I could be an axe murderer luring you somewhere secluded or looking to sell your organs on the black market or something."

Ben snorts. “I think I could take you in a fight if you tried to do that.”

“I don’t doubt it”, Red chuckles, looking at Ben’s arms with what looks suspiciously like hunger. He seems to have trouble turning back up to look at Ben's face.

“I was supposed to work tonight, but I like talking to you and you're in need of help. I figure I can do a good deed every once in a while”, Red says, and despite Ben’s doubts, it feels honest. He can feel the surface emotions, but doesn’t look further into Red’s thoughts, in equal parts because it’s terrible manners and he was raised better than that, and because he’s still unrefined enough that Red would definitely feel it, and that’s not a conversation he wants to have.

Also because he doesn’t want those beautiful light eyes to look at him in fear or anger. He supposes he’ll just have to trust. It helps that there's no obvious malicious intent wafting off of him, and Ben lets himself relax a little. 

“That’s very good of you”, Ben says softly, “Thank you. Lead the way?” He rises, finishing his pint, ready to follow Red out. Red smiles but then looks down, biting his lip.

“Don’t think I’m just noble”, he murmurs. “You’re very sweet and I’m hoping to get a decent fuck out of this at some point too.”

Stars. Fuck -

Ben’s cheeks feel hot enough you could probably fry an egg on his face. He looks away and coughs, shifting on his feet.

“That’s. Wow. I mean - Didn’t expect you to just say that.”

He did suspect - Red seemed to be attracted to him - but this is much more direct than he expected. He’s making himself look exactly like the pitifully awkward adult virgin he is, and there’s nothing he can do about it. Red is looking straight at him, so nonchalant it infuriates him, and so honestly wanting that it makes him want to pull him into a kiss right here and now. He feels completely unprepared and out of his depth.

“I’m sorry”, Red says, not sounding sorry at all.

“No you’re not”, Ben growls, and Red laughs.

“No, I’m not. Coming?”

He’s still holding Ben’s wrist. Ben thinks about coming, and then he wants to die of embarrassment, and then he nods.

“Yeah.”

Red shoots him a beautiful smile and turns, leading him towards the exit.

On their way past the bar, Red seems to exchange some complicated wordless series of expressions with the tall, blonde bartender, and the woman smirks at them knowingly. Ben feels his face heat up again. Red ushers him to the cloakroom and picks up his coat, a long black thing that does ridiculously good things for his shoulders. It seems curiously warm for the time of year, but when they step out, Ben realizes it’s probably perfect and he’s the one wearing too little. Cantonia is a desert planet, no matter how much of a lush paradise Canto Bight is, and desert nights are freezing.

He shivers, and Red makes a sympathetic sound, pulling him closer and taking his arm, ostensibly to warm him up, but Ben suspects he’s got some ulterior motives.

“How long did you say the walk was?”

“Twenty minutes, give or take a few.”

It sounds longer now than it did back inside in the warmth, but Ben’s tough, he’ll manage. Red feels warm next to him, and his closeness makes Ben shiver. The promise of a warm apartment, some food and a bed to sleep in are enough to power him through pretty much anything right now.

He refuses to think about the other things waiting for him, because if he dwells on imagining them, he won’t be able to walk comfortably.

They talk about everything and nothing as they walk, and it goes surprisingly fast. Ben delivers a heavily edited version of his life story: how his mother is a ‘politician’ and how he sometimes does work for her and sometimes transports things. He thinks Red catches on to the fact that he’s not saying everything, but neither of them comments on it. Red tells him he ended up on Cantonia six years ago under some unfortunate circumstances he doesn’t want to talk about, and has been making a living here doing a bit of this and that, mostly mechanics and the like. Ben doesn’t ask if he fixes starships, because he’s already asking a lot of Red just by taking up space and sleeping over at his place, which he says is little more than a hole in the wall. Ben will have to find a way to contact the resistance and and ask his mother to transfer him enough funds to get the ship fixed. He doesn’t even want to think about how long it’ll take him to find a secure channel and how long the fixing will take, after.

The first half of the way they walk along crowded streets, blending in with the mass of humans and aliens, but after they leave the entertainment district the crowd thins noticeably. The rest of the walk is calm, passing by shops and other businesses, many of them already closed for the night. Red is still holding onto Ben, and he finds himself getting used to his closeness step by step, enjoying how easily they fit together even though his legs are a bit longer and he has to slow his pace a little bit to match Red’s. He asks questions about places they pass and Red indulges him, acting the tour guide with only the minimal complaint. His voice has a calming quality to it, his accent a mix of polished Cantonica and something else, equally fancy but unidentifiable.

“This is it”, Red suddenly says, slowing down in front of a small repair shop. They climb the rickety metal staircase to the third and highest floor, and Red digs an old-fashioned key ring out of his pocket. There are three locks on the door, two of them opened with different keys and the last one with a fingerprint.

Red notices Ben's questioning look and squints. "A lot of people on this rock are too smart to go after the big fish at the casinos and like to break into normal people's apartments instead. Less of a risk of getting caught. The authorities don't exactly rush to help the poor folk in need when there's shinier boots to lick. So we need to take care of ourselves."

 _But here you are,_ Ben thinks, _letting a complete stranger in voluntarily. Why?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! <3 I'd really appreciate a comment!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> They make their way into bed - very, very softly.

Hux stops short of letting Ben step inside before him. He takes a hold of the lapels of Ben's leather jacket and holds him in place. Ben goes red again, all the way up to his ears, and his big hands come up to Hux's elbows, just barely touching. He looks scared and unsure and longing, but at least he's able to hold Hux's gaze now.

There's nothing forcing him to do this, but Hux wants to tell Ben the truth. If he doesn't want his first time to be with a whore, he should have the option to leave. Hux might get a little pissed off and possibly knee him in the groin for it, but he won't lie about this.

“Truth is”, Hux says so quietly it’s almost a whisper, “that I was at the Empire looking for someone to fuck, for money. I do that sometimes, as a sort of side job."

Ben's eyes widen and he lets out a sharp breath, but at least he doesn't push Hux away. His eyes flick over Hux's features, his brow creasing.

"I don't have money", he finally says, confused and _sad,_ the big oaf. "I can't pay you -" 

"I know that", Hux chuckles. "I don’t want you to, that's not why I brought it up. I just thought you should know."

"Huh", Ben says. "Thanks, that's thoughtful. Can I kiss you?"

He looks embarrassed again a nanosecond after the words leave his lips, and Hux laughs more relieved than he wants to admit. He leans in to drop a little kiss on the corner of Ben's mouth. "Let's go inside for that."

They go, and Hux locks the door behind them. He doesn't turn the lights on, doesn't want Ben to see how tiny the space is. There's a street lamp that casts enough light straight in the window for them to be able to see the bare outlines of furniture and of each other, and that’s enough. Hux walks Ben backwards until the backs of his legs hit the bed.

Hux leans in again, anticipating a kiss, but Ben's hands find his arms again and settle there, gentle enough to still him and hold him in place, not pushing back.

"Are you gonna be okay if this happens?" Ben asks in a whisper.

"Of course, why wouldn't I be?" 

"I mean, do you have like… a pimp, or something? Will you get in trouble for not taking money?"

Hux nuzzles the side of his face, smiling in the dark. Ben likely has no idea how sweet he is.

"No", he says, starting to unbutton his coat. "I don't work for anyone. Just me, freelance, as often or as rarely as I feel like."

He doesn't mention how much his feeling like it depends on his financial situation. It's not like he'd fuck sleazy old men and scary, demanding women if he could avoid it, but he can't help it that he wants off this planet as soon as possible, or that he can't reach the future he wants without the money. He wants Ben to just see the part of him that’s strong and self-assured, the part that can act like it likes what it is and how it acts.

Ben seems satisfied and shrugs off his own jacket, and then pulls Hux close. His bravery seems to dwindle there, and he just leans a little bit closer, shyly. Hux wants to coddle him and take care of him in ways he's never felt before.

He lifts his hands up to the sides of Ben's head and tilts him a little, leans closer until their lips touch. Ben lets out a shaky breath against Hux, and then they're kissing.

It's frantic from the start, hands grabbing, bodies grinding, tongues rubbing together. Ben tastes like beer, but it's not unpleasant. It's wonderful even, because he smells good and has big soft lips and big soft hands and a big cock, getting hard against Hux's thigh. Unexpectedly, he kisses like he’s done it before, like he knows what he likes. His hands find their way onto Hux’s back, petting up and down, feeling out the lines of him.

Hux deepens the kiss, nipping at Ben's lip and dropping an arm around the small of his back, pulling him closer. Ben whines into the kiss, his hips jerking against Hux's. It feels like he's close to the edge already, and the realization makes Hux want to be even gentler with him than he’d planned.

"First time?" he whispers against Ben's lips.

"No. Yes." Ben groans and buries his face in Hux's neck, embarrassed.

"Which one is it?" Hux chuckles gently, unbuttoning his shirt and turning his head to kiss the shell of a big ear. The feeling makes Ben's breath hitch, and Hux does it again.

"Not first time… kissing. First time doing more", Ben admits in a small voice. Hux has trouble believing people haven't been queueing to touch Ben, sweet Ben with his sad eyes and soft hair and wide shoulders and defined chest - but maybe he's a late bloomer, or just too shy to have gone looking for it.

"That's alright", Hux whispers, shrugging his shirt off and coaxing Ben to lift his arms so Hux can pull his shirt off too. Their chests press together, warm, hearts beating fast. "We can go slow if you want to."

"I don't know what I want", Ben says quietly.

"That's alright too."

Hux guides Ben to lie down on the bed on his side, and follows suit, facing him. He extends an arm so Ben can lay his head on it, and leans back in to kiss him. Ben clutches onto him, warm fingers digging into the skin of his back. They kiss and kiss and kiss, and Hux finds himself trembling as hard as Ben is. It's been so long since he's touched and kissed someone just for the sheer, overwhelming pleasure of it, and he fears he'll shake apart soon.

Though they're almost of a height, Ben is wider and heavier than Hux, and somehow that feels good. He's in a fragile place mentally right now, experiencing all of this for the first time, but his size is a reassuringly physical reminder that Hux won't break him.

Ben pushes a knee between Hux's thighs, and Hux smiles into his mouth at the incentive he's taking. He rides it, rubbing against the hard muscle, and reaches to fumble Ben't clothes out of the way.

“This okay?”

“Yeah”, Ben sighs, and Hux rewards him with a kiss on the nose. That surprises a laugh out of Ben, but it turns into a hiss when Hux gets his hands on bare skin, fingers wrapping around his cock. It feels heavy and big and Hux wants it in every way possible, but he has a feeling the first time is going to be so quick they won’t have time for anything more complicated. That’s fine, though, and if Ben’s going to be staying for several days, they’ll have time for more later. Right now, he focuses on giving Ben a few strokes, searching for a rhythm. Ben whines, and Hux kisses his neck, gives him a mark, another, quickening the pace of his hand.

“You’re doing great. You feel really good”, Hux tells him, gentle and a little embarrassed; he doesn’t usually say these things. If someone wants him to talk dirty, he’ll do it, but outright praise has never been his thing.

Ben pants, moans brokenly, and it only takes a few more loving words and a few more gentle but possessive touches until he's coming, onto Hux's hand and the fabric of his pants.

Hux watches his face twist in pleasure in the dim light, and he looks beautiful and dear. Hux tells him that too, and doesn't care about the mess he makes, focusing instead on petting and gentling him through it, holding him as he shakes, after.

It takes Ben a while to regain his senses, but even pleasure-drunk and now sated and sleepy, there’s a sweetness to him, evident in the way he looks at Hux and in everything he does.

“Sorry”, he mumbles. “Can I do that for you, or…?” He bites his lip, watching Hux. It looks like he’s waging a quiet war against himself; a part of Ben wants to be the shy virgin, content to let Hux set the pace, but there’s a fire in his eyes that tells Hux he might be ready and willing to try taking control too, sometime soon.

“I’d like that”, Hux says, and Ben smiles, a little embarrassed but enthusiastic. He pushes at Hux’s shoulder until Hux gives in and flumps onto the bed on his back, looking up at Ben. The boy leans over him, one hand braced next to his head, his dark hair hanging around them, like a curtain that creates a tiny enclosed space just for them. Ben stays there, looking down at him, his eyes traveling from Hux’s eyes to his lips and then to his naked chest. 

“Appreciating the view?” Hux whispers, and Ben makes a face at him, finally leaning down to kiss him again.

“I feel like I’m dreaming or something”, Ben confesses, breath warm against Hux’s cheek as he slowly caresses Hux’s neck and chest, stopping to touch a nipple. Hux sighs and leans up into the touch.

“You’re not”, he promises.

“No”, Ben agrees, hand traveling lower, curious, splayed wide like Ben wants to touch him everywhere. Like feeling him everywhere makes Hux more real to him. There’s a sad kind of metaphor somewhere in there, but then Ben finally reaches Hux’s cock, and the slow but steady touch makes him forget whatever it was that he was thinking about.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! <3  
> Comments are greatly appreciated, as always!


End file.
